Anything Except Temptation
by bikelock28
Summary: "Are you sure?" he whispers, "Because, you know, maybe you might like it…. maybe we might be quite good together," "Really, Barney?" replies Robin, sceptically. Barney smirks and shifts his body towards hers, extends an arm around her shoulders. His closeness makes her feel rather hot,". In 10 Sessions, Barney implies that he's propositioned Robin- this my my take on such a scene.


**In early season 3 it's suggested that Robin and Barney are at least physically attracted to each other, and in Ten Sessions he implies that he's propositioned her in the past. This is my take on that.**

**I don't own anything- although owning Neil Patrick Harris would be lovely ; )**

_I can resist anything except temptation- Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere's Fan_

It's late on Friday night and the five of them are squashed onto the couch at Ted's apartment. The table and floor are littered with empty beer bottles. Robin is half-asleep and assumes that the others are too-until she feels light patterns being traced on her arm. At first, she thinks that she's imagining it, but no, it's definitely there, definitely someone's skin brushing against hers. Slowly, she opens her eyes and sees Barney's fingertips stroking her upper arm. His tie is loose around his neck and there's a beer bottle clamped between his knees. He glances at her and smiles briefly. He has, she notes (not for the first time) a really, really nice smile.

"Hey, Robin?" he tilts his head towards hers a little.

"Mmm?"

"D'you ever think about you and me?"

That throws her. She was not expecting that.

"You and me what?" she asks, though she knows what he's getting at of course. Does Barney Stinson think of anything else?

He leans closer, leering at her with hazy eyes, his breath heavy with alcohol.

"You know," Barney smirks, raises his eyebrows suggestively, and nods to her arm, where he's still tracing those little circles. She tries to ignore the goose bumps that it gives her, "You and me…"

Yes, is the honest answer. Just recently, she has. Just recently, Robin has begun to feel a little victory when he sits next to her at the booth in MacLaren's, or a little hot jealously when he leaves with a giggling blonde on his arm, or a little upset whenever his work stops him from coming until later, or- and she barely admits this to herself- the tiniest zing of excitement when Barney touches her. She feels it now with their bodies jammed in alongside each other on the couch with his fingers against her skin.

She's begun to notice things about him too. She's always thought him extremely handsome, of course- who doesn't? But recently there've been other things too- how blue and twinkling his eyes are, how much of his chest she can see when his shirt collar is undone, how tight he wears his suit trousers. He's tempting, that's what he is. Almost too tempting…

"No," she says.

Barney laughs. He has very white teeth, Robin notes.

"Are you sure?" he whispers, "Because, you know, maybe you might like it…. maybe we might be quite good together,"

"Really, Barney?" replies Robin, sceptically. Barney smirks and shifts his body towards hers, extends an arm around her shoulders. His closeness makes her feel rather hot.

"Yeah," he says in a voice that is low and hungry and makes her feel even more flustered, "Just, lemme show you,"

He plants his mouth on her cheek and kisses her, slowly and sloppily. Robin forgets to breathe for a moment, and while her breath is held Barney's mouth makes its way up her jaw, pecking little kisses across the jaw line. Then he's lapping at her ear, his tongue flicking against the ridges in it. Robin shudders as Barney's lips slide back down her cheek, sucking at her skin, crawling towards her mouth. His lips brush the corner of hers - and then Robin remembers who she is and who he is and where they are and who they're with, and the fact that they've both had too much to drink. She pushes him away, and Barney- unfazed- snorts with laughter and raises his eyebrows again.

"You enjoy it, Scherbatsky,"

Yes. "No,".

She feels suddenly sobered-up and decisive, "No, because I'm not one of your stupid bimbos. No, because it'll ruin the dynamic of the group. And no, because up until nine months ago, I was dating your best friend,"

"So, you have thought about it then," Barney insists, grinning, "If you're ever cold at night, Scherbatsky, gimme a call,"

He winks, then tips his head back and shuts his eyes. Robin doesn't move for a few minutes, allowing time for her heart rate to decrease back to normal, and to ensure that Barney has fallen asleep. When she's sure that he has, Robin allows herself an elongated sigh. The way he had looked at her, whispered to her, kissed her, was so…unexpected. It wasn't like him, or at least not like he usually is with her. But she'll been lying if she says she hadn't enjoyed it, if she says that she won't re-live the moment over in her mind in the days to follow, if she says that it hadn't taken considerable shock and willpower for her to push him away from her when his lips had been so close to hers…

Robin realises that Barney's arm is still around her. She considers moving it – but she shouldn't wake him. Besides, she likes it. She could get used to it.

When Ted wakes up first in the morning, he goes into the kitchen to pour himself a cup of tea. As Ted glances round, he notices that Barney's arm is draped around Robin's shoulders.

He pretends not to notice.

**Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed. Whatever you thought, all reviews are much appreciated.**

**Thanks again, have a lovely day.**


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